By Andrew L. Seidel Director of Strategic Response Freedom From Religion Foundation It seems that some churches want to have it both ways. State-church separation gives churches significant benefits, and even preferential treatment, such as exclusion from taxation. Attached to these benefits are requirements — most importantly that taxpayers will not be forced to fund houses of worship. But now some churches are seeking to claim these benefits, while shunning the obligations — and they are relying on a recent… Read more

To Captain Sonny Hernandez, Chaplain for the U.S. Air Force Reserves: Dear Captain Hernandez, This is a response to your recent misguided rant about the “duties” of Christian military chaplains to “avoid supporting or accommodating evil.” You make it clear that by “evil” you mean the American values of religious pluralism and the constitutional right of non-Christians and the nonreligious to freely exercise their beliefs. Your ideas are unworthy and un-American. The tirade was meant to encourage other military chaplains… Read more

If someone who wants to be a judge believes that her religion should trump her oath of office, is it fair for those vetting the judge to ask her about that belief? According to some, questioning a person about his or her religion is off limits because our Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office. And it does, but it also requires that judges swear an oath to uphold that Constitution. A recent manufactured conflict along these lines is breeding… Read more

Here at the Freedom From Religion Foundation we’ve been preparing for September by schooling public officials, school districts, and the Facebook community and radio listeners on nontheism and simple ways to keep religion out of government. Read more